Apologies if this has come up before…
Neckstraps now must be attached to the horse/other tack some how for competing.
How are people doing this? Baling twine to a d-ring?
If you have any pics or suggestions, I’d appreciate it. All our horses always go in neckstraps.
Thanks!
FEI only. Not required at USEA events.
Clever With Leather makes an attachable one although I can’t figure out from their photos how it works.
A spur strap to the breastplate is pretty easy
My instructor seemed to think it was clever of me to use a Velcro strap from the saddle pad to secure a neck strap - though that might not be quite secure enough if you are going above grasshopper height and speed. :winkgrin:
I have one of theirs. It has a clip to attach to the front d-rings.
I am in Canada - required.
Thanks everyone.
Mine is basically a martingale yoke with a snap at the chest that snaps to my breastplate. Would that work for you? I don’t event so I don’t know how “legal” but it certainly works for foxhunting and riding those unpredictable beasts.
Me too. Watching Badminton, noticed a rider who secured their neckstrap by simply looping it through the breastplate (or in my case a breastgirth), meaning that no extra strap is required, so that’s what I’ve opted to do: if FEI stewards approved it, that’s (more than) good enough for me.
I saw an awesome idea, someone had a key chain type half lanyard thing, they clipped it to the D ring and the neck strap went through the key ring.
My very slight concern about extra straps is that I would not want to get a finger or hand tangled up in the lanyard, the clip, the key ring, or anything less strong and secure than the actual neckstrap, when it is definitely the neckstrap that I’ll be wanting my hands on quickly, without looking down, if I need something to grab. Likewise I would not want anything floppy near the neck for the reins (their ends) to become tangled in
I bought one of These Key Fobs to use to secure my neck strap as described, the problem is it is not long enough to use that way. I have to add a double ended snap to it.
I use an old stirrup leather for my neck strap and punched a hole in it so I can run the narrow leather piece from a flash noseband (that I don’t use) through the hole. Then I put the flash leather through the “oh shit” attachment on my saddle D-rings and buckle it. Works great and the leather would break if need be. This is what Aidan O’Connell had us do for his clinics.
Mary
I have seen people do something similar, but clip the fob to the ring on the breastplate rather than the d-ring to keep the neck strap positioned further forward. The neck strap has to be attached, but I don’t believe the rules say attached to what. This also frees up some space on your d-rings so you don’t have breastplate + neck strap attaching in the same location.
I like the set-up you suggest with the key fob that trubandloki suggests. And I have one with my horse’s name on it!
What if one doesn’t use a breastplate?
My key ring and snap are way too small to get my hands in, and I have small hands :lol: My neck strap is fairly thin though. I don’t think I could get my hands tangled in their any more than I would the bridge part of a breastplate. It’s low and to the side of where my hands would be.
Now that I am using a full running martingale and jumper breastplate though opposed to a breastplate and attachment, Im just using the neck strap part of the martingale as my neck strap anyways. Too many straps for me otherwise lol
Use the fob mentioned above attached to the D ring. You can always get D ring extenders too to make more room.
Could just braid it into the mane. That’s what I do with martingale straps when I ship tacked up or graze a horse wearing a martingale. A single braid, doesn’t need to be tight or fancy, and a rubber band.
Hmm, interesting idea! I wonder whether it would be considered “secure” if you did that…?
As for the breastplate, I do use a running so could conceivably loop the neck strap through the martingale neck strap, yes?
OP said it had to be attached to the horse or the tack, and seems to me like this would be attached to the horse. Not sure how else you could even do that. But honestly, I don’t know. I don’t use a neck strap: I use the mane. 
ETA: checked the FEI rules and this would NOT work under them. “Neck straps, if used on Cross Country, must be attached either to the breastplate or to the saddle.” See https://inside.fei.org/sites/default/files/Eventing%20Rules%20for%202019%20-%20clean%20version_03Dec2018_.pdf at 539.3.2.
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